Bud, Not Buddy

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Copyright 1999
Published by Yearling
Lexile Measure: 950L
Grade: 6

Comedy, Adventure, Depression, Woop, Sloop, Zoop

Bud, Not Buddy is the tale of a boy in search of his father.  Bud never met his father, but believes that when his mother died, she left him clues, including flyers advertising Herman E. Calloway and his famous band.  He believes that the clues will lead him to his father.    Christopher Paul Curtis's book will leave your students laughing and seeing how Bud forms relationships that change his life.

Teachers, here are some suggestions for activities and resources that go along with this novel:

Key Vocabulary:

• depression, commence, devastator, Hooverville, locamotive, shantytown, knickers, moldering, exaggerate, snaggletooth, copasetic, prodigy

Before Reading Activity:

• Have students research causes of the Great Depression and organizations that helped people who were affected.  What organizations today help people in need?

During Reading Activity:

• Students can make a scrap book to track all of Bud's adventures.

After Reading Activity:

• Have students create a comic strip of their favorite scene of the novel using this Comic Strip Creator.

Web Resources:

• check out these discussion questions that go along with the novel!
• Look here for a list of activities that go along with the book!

Curtis, C. P. (1999). Bud, not Buddy. New York: Delacorte Press.